Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,443, established in 1886. Public schools that outperform most of Kansas.
Trash & recyclingFrontenac gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $170K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Pittsburg area’s $53K median household income. It grades B overall, 63rd of 150 graded towns in Kansas. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 76% of Kansas towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 75% of U.S. towns. Only 9 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a higher January low than Frontenac. Frontenac's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 81% of U.S. towns.
Where Frontenac beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Frontenac is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 600 in 1890, a low of 600 in 1890, 3,382 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1945 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Frontenac, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Frontenac.
Frontenac pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its A− for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $170K. Its A− is the best School Grade on its borders; Pittsburg (B−) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Frontenac Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Layden ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 489 | A− |
| Frontenac Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 298 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
At $778 a month, Frontenac’s median rent is below both the Kansas town median ($977 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Frontenac home is worth about $170,000, down 1.3% in a year, 31% below the Kansas typical home.
| Frontenac | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $778 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 8,576 U.S. towns with household incomes like Frontenac’s, it is healthier than 95%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income. Its B+ for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Pittsburg (C+) comes closest.
In the comparison, Frontenac comes where Kansas’ towns sit at 35% and U.S. towns at 36%. Frontenac beats the Kansas average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 34% of Frontenac adults feel lonely.
| Frontenac | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 31% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Frontenac | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 13% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.4% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Frontenac has chilly winters and warm summers. Frontenac’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Frontenac has about as many jobs (1,489) as working residents, but only 189 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Frontenac for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in Frontenac is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Pittsburg (41%), Girard (7%) and Wichita (2%).
| Frontenac | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 21% of residents (17% statewide). 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Kansas.
| Frontenac | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.4 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Frontenac | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.6% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.5% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.9% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.9% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.7% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.2% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,400, single groups can be off by several points
At 16.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 75% of Kansas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Frontenac | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wilderness Park | 0.5 mi | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Frontenac
About 4 of every 100 Frontenac residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
5 notable people were born in Frontenac.
City in Crawford County, Kansas
Frontenac is the second largest city in Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,382.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Frontenac.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Washington Township (C) comes closest.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontenac | #63 | B | B | B− | A− | B+ |
| Pittsburg | #143 | D | C+ | D | B− | C+ |
| Washington Township | #112 | C | B+ | — | C+ | C |
| Baker Township | #126 | C− | C+ | — | B− | C+ |
Washington Township and Baker Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Frontenac with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Frontenac grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #63 of 150 in Kansas. It grades B+ for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
Frontenac was established in 1886. 5 notable people were born here, including Joe Skubitz and Archie San Romani.
